Web Links

The web has a lot of information concerning mental illness.  Following are some of the web sites that you might find useful.  See also the section on Organizations for links to their web sites.
 

AMA Physician Select	American Medical Association's Physician Select program provides basic professional information on virtually every licensed physician in the United States.
Bipolar Education	A one-stop resource for anyone in the UK interested in bipolar disorder (manic depression). It aims to provide comprehensive information and interactivity for people with bipolar disorder, their friends, families and caregivers, as well as healthcare professionals interested or involved in treating people with bipolar disorder.
Assertive Community Treatment (ACT)	Assertive community treatment offers services customized to the consumer.  These services address needs related to managing symptoms, housing, finances, employment, medical care, substance abuse, family life, and activities of daily living.
Bipolar Genetics Collaboration Research	This web site is a resource operated by researchers across the country who are collaborating in the search for the genes responsible for bipolar disorder.  The site explains the nature of the study and offers information about how families can participate.
Bipolarhome.org	A web site guide to bipolar disorder symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.
Bipolar Kids Homepage	Web site specifically designed for children and their parents, teachers, doctors, and friends.  Several good links for children and their caretakers.
Bipolar News	This web site is intended to provide patients, families, physicians, researchers, and all others interested in bipolar disorder a primary source for learning about the latest research and discoveries in bipolar disorder.
Bipolar Significant Others	An extensive list of resources, especially books and web sites, related to bipolar disorders.  Information useful for everyone, but has particularly excellent material for parents of bipolar children.
Depression Central	This site is Internet's central clearinghouse for information on all types of depressive disorders and on the most effective treatments for individuals suffering from Major Depression, Manic-Depression (Bipolar Disorder), Cyclothymia, Dysthymia and other mood disorders.  This site is maintained by Dr. Ivan Goldberg, with no financial support from any public, nonprofit, or pharmaceutical source.
Depression Hurts	A web site about depression and serotonin and norepinephrine provided by Lilly, a company that makes Cymbalta.
Depression - Webworld	Internationally created web site dedicated to improving the understanding and treatment of depression.
Guide to Bipolar Disease (plus more)	A guide that defines a number of mental illnesses (e.g., bipolar disease, anxiety disorders and other mood disorders) and provides links to articles and other resources.  Offers a free newsletter.
International Society for Bipolar Disorders	The Society's mission is the promotion of awareness of this condition in society at large, promotion of awareness and education about this condition among mental health professionals, fostering research on all aspects of bipolar disorder, and promotion of international collaboration in this area.
Internet Mental Health	Internet Mental Health is a free encyclopedia of mental health information created by a Canadian psychiatrist, Dr. Phillip Long.
Julie Fast's Website	Julie A. Fast is the author of Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder: Understanding and Helping Your Partner (New Harbinger, 2004) and the upcoming book, The Health Smart Bipolar Disorder Personal Care Organizer (Penguin, fall 2005).  She is the inventor of the Health Card System which helps people understand and deal with bipolar illness.
Juvenile Bipolar Research Foundation	Foundation that raises and distributes funds for the most promising research into the causes, treatments and prevention of early-onset bipolar disorder. This scientific and clinical team is organized around a common research aim: to determine the etiology of juvenile-onset bipolar disorder, and thereby advance the state of knowledge about this condition so that more effective treatments can be developed.
Medicare Prescription Drug Program (Federal Site)	2006 is the implementation date for the Medicare Prescription Drug Program, that applies to people who are mentally ill, regardless of age.  This link is for the description of the federal program.
Medicare Prescription Drug Program (Maryland Help)	2006 is the implementation date for the Medicare Prescription Drug Program, that applies to people who are mentally ill, regardless of age. This link is for the help available through Maryland.
Medline	Excellent resource provided by the National Library and Medicine, in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health.  Has information and links about various diseases and also information about medications.
Moodswing	Guide for people suffering from bipolar disorder, their family and friends.  "Frequently asked questions" link is particularly useful.
NIMH Child & Adolescent Mental Health	The future of our country depends on the mental health and strength of our young people.  Many children have mental health problems that interfere with normal development and functioning. The web pages describe the diseases, treatment and research.  Contains links to publications.
NIMH Clinical Trials Database	Provides regularly updated information about federally and privately supported clinical research in human volunteers. Gives information about a trial's purpose, who may participate, locations, and phone numbers for more details.
NIMH Publications	The National Institute of Mental Health provides a number of publications for consumers.  This site provides links to the publications as well as information as to how to order copies.
Pendulum Resources	Web site that provides information on books, organizations, and other web sties that are helpful for people with depression and bipolar disorder.  Offers current information about ongoing research studies and articles dealing with depression and bipolar disorder.
Psychiatric News	American Psychiatric Association (APA) newspaper.  The principal and official means of communication between APA and its members about policies, politics, and legislative and judicial issues affecting psychiatry, as well as the actions and policies of APA itself. The newspaper also serves as a source of clinical and research news pertinent to the field of psychiatry.
Psychiatric Times	This monthly resource features outstanding columnists, compelling features, vital clinical news, intriguing special reports, career opportunities and the chance to earn Category 1 credit. You can peruse the most recent issue online or search archived issues for articles related to your topic of interest.
PubMed	A service of the National Library of Medicine, includes over 15 million citations for biomedical articles back to the 1950's. These citations are from MEDLINE and additional life science journals. PubMed includes links to many sites providing full text articles and other related resources.
Screening for Mental Health	Focused on National Depression Screening Day.  Web site enables users to find the date and location of the nearest screening center.
Sleepless in America	A program of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. (800) 826-3632
STAR*D	STAR*D (Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression) develops and evaluates clinical strategies to improve outcomes for patients with treatment-resistant depression, determines best "next-step" treatments for depressed patients who do not respond satisfactorily to earlier treatment attempts, compares relative efficacy and patients' acceptance of different treatment strategies to relieve depression, and compares side effects and economic costs.
STEP-BP	STEP-BD (Systematic Treatment Program for Bipolar Disorder) is a long-term outpatient project that aims to find out which treatments, or combinations of treatments, are most effective for treating episodes of depression and mania and for preventing recurrent episodes.
Threshold Services	Threshold Services helps people with mental illness lead fulfilling lives by providing exemplary mental health services, such as housing opportunities, and by promoting a caring community through advocacy, professional education and public education.
Vegas Nerve Stimulation	Cyberonics' Vegas Nerve Stimulation (VNS) therapy was originally designed for epilepsy and is close to being approved by the FDA for depression.
Viritas Medicine	Veritas Medicine is a free confidential resource providing access to clinical trials and information on treatment options.
Walkers in Darkness	For people affected by depression and bipolar disorder.  Internet mailing list is particularly popular with individuals who wish to freely discuss issues of concern with those who have similar problems.  Web site offers list of resources, including organizations, books, and web sites.
WebMD	WebMD provides valuable health information, tools for managing your health, and support to those who seek information.
Women and Mental Health	A government supported web site focusing on issues related to women and mental health.  A portion of the government's women and health web site.